Dribbble shots

Posting a dribbble shot feels like composing an amazing symphony but only playing the main chorus for the audience. You’re only showing people the end product of weeks (or months) worth of revisions and iterations. Sure, it’s glamorous to look at, but it reduces the complexity of the design process down to one screenshot or gif.

It’s mid-2015. A designer’s skillset today should include a lot more than the ability to come up with a good visual concept and execute on it. It should include brainstorming, conceptualizing, ideating, revising, presenting the work, defending the work, and going the client’s way when it is necessary. None of this is portrayed through a dribbble shot.

I love finding out a designer’s work style through case studies, where their entire process is explained. I’ve posted a few of them myself. It gives an outside observer insight into the mind of the designer — how they think, what their gut reactions are, and what their process is while approaching tough problems.

Dribbble is great for showcasing visual design work, but not anything beyond that. UX thinking and mapping user flows are not things that are viscerally appealing to look at, but they are crucial tools for any designer.

In order for the chorus to have its maximum impact, it must be played in a song where it builds into a crescendo towards the end. Without the song, a chorus is just a disconnected segment of catchy beats lacking substance — just like a dribbble shot without the explanation of the designer’s process.